The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-11-29
MILES OF FLAME
Have Played Havoc In the South
and Southwest.
WHOLE SECTIONS ARE LAID WASTE

OF. LOUIS, November Zo-for several days
q veritable cloud OF gloom has hung over st.
Louis and life has been rendered almost intol-
cradle by smoke During the day the sun is
| almost totally obscured or appears simply as q
dull red ball, and at night the moon and stars
are invisible, and even the street lamps are
not visible to the naked eye, except at very
close range.
All the people are coughing and rubbing
their aching and infiamed eyes, and cursing
the drought and forest fires that are devas-
tating vast sections of country in all directions.
Smoke is over and about and in everything.
The streets are full of it, the houses are full of
| it, the peoples eyes, noses and lungs are full
| OF 1t, and timid persons are afraid to go to
| sleep at night lest the dense smoke should suf-
| focate them. 1t all comes from the forest and
prairie fires that are burning hercely in Illinois,
Missouri, Arkansas, Indiana, Texas, Tennes-
| see and the Indian Territory.
EXTENT OF THE CONFEDERATION.
Your correspondent met Mr.. j.. Il. Farley, of
Hot Springs, Ark, who had Just come in over
the Iron Mountain railroad, travelling through
q section afflicted by the scourge of fire.
1.-The forest and prairie fires that are now
devastating the southwest are much more de-
structiye and widespread than people believe"
said Mr.. Farley. "I'he forests of northeast
em Arkansas have been burning for three
weeks and hundreds of thousands of acres Of
timber have been destroyed. Around Hot
| Springs the fires have been burning tiercely, and
for few nights the landscape was entirely
crcled with flame. For two hundred miles
this side of Little Rock the air is thick with
gray, sitting smoke, freighted with ashes.
The fires seem to be working all northeast, and
from the reports received it seems the destruc-
ton is not confined TO forests, but the crops
and improvements on hundreds OF farms have
fallen n prey to the flames. / saw q strip OF
territory about ten miles long few days after
the flames had passed over 1t, and it would be
| hard to conceive anything more desolate. 1t
had been covered with a fine forest and all that
| remained was the black and burned earth and
| some chaIred stumps.
PRAIRIns AND FORESTS ALIKE SUFFER.
'"The dry prairies form combustible link
| between the forests, and there is nothing that
| will put an end to the destruction but u heavy
rain. Coming up ON the train the progress of
the fires could be seen ON all sides. Southwest
| Missouri seems to be suffering severely. Stod-
| dard county and some of the adjoining coun-
ties, which are low aud swampy, are being
! swept by the flames. Tho underbrush and
| scrub oaks that grow in the swamp are dry as
| finder and burn rapidly"
"Did YOU hear of any lives being lost 2"
| "No; but heard rumors that some hunters
| were surrounded by fires, but there is nothing
| authentic regarding the loss OF life. Generally
| the farmerstAre warned by the smoke and
| wind, and il they embrace the opportunity can
escape
| BAD NEWS FROM MANY SECTIONS.
From other sources your correspondent OBJ
| tanned information of similar character con-
/
! this immediate vicinity and throughout the
south and southwest. Dispatches from many
| towns and railroad stations show that vast
| areas OF timber land and cultivated country
| have been and arc now under the sway of the
fire fiend in southern Illinois and Indiana. A
dispatch from Anna, ILL.,, says:
| The forest fires are still raging in nearly
| all parts of this (Unon) county and surround
| ing counties BY almost superhuman efforts
| they had been confined to the swamps and
waste lands, and were doing about as much
| good as harm, but the high wind of Saturday
| and Sunday scattered the flames and for the
| past two days they have been spreading rap
| idly. The smoke to-day was almost unbear-
able, being so thick that the sun could scarcely
| be seen. Reports coming up from the Missis-
| sippi bottoms are that many pieces OF valuable
! timber land have caught fire, and nothing can
| be done to check the flames. The farm of Nj
| V. Eayes is suffering very much, several
| thousand rails having been burned, and more
| are in danger. A barn on his farm caught
| fire yesterday and was destroyed, together
| with the contents and some agricultural imple
ments, large buggy, etc. Several other
! barns were burned. The farmers of the entire
region, assisted by many people from town,
| are lard at work fighting the fires although
| little can be done to stay their progress
| The woods few miles east OF Anna are now
burning.
'The farm residence of A. w. Musgroye,
| several miles east of town, caught fire from
the burning woods and was destroyed, together
COLA, nine miles south of here caught Satur-
| day, and for q while the town was in great
peril, but the fire is now partly under control,
though the danger to the town is still great.
| Fires on the ties and bridges of the Mobile and
| Ohio railroad for the past few days have de-
layed trains considerably. Telegraph poles on
| the lines of both the Illinois Central and Mo-
| bile and Ohio have been burned, causing great
! annoyance and delay No rain TO speak of has
| fallen here for five months"
| From other towns in Illinois come like stories
| of devastation, each telling of the general work
| of destruction or recitng some particular
| event such as the burning of fine residences or
| farm property. narrow escapes of people and
| live stock and thrilling experiences of fire
| fighters.
a dispatch from shelbyyille, ILL.,, gives the
| facts. with meagre details, of She burning Of
| the little village of Fndlay, few miles from
| Shelbyyle Not business house was left
standing except the postoillce, and only four
| or five residences in the outskirts of the viii
lage remain. The town had about one thou
sand inhabitants. The burned and burning
! district extends clear over into Indiana, and
| dispatches from Leopold, Seymour and other
| interior towns tell tales OF trouble by fires.
| From many points in Missouri come dispatches
| of similar import, while many Of an equally
| distressing character are received from Ar
! kansas.
DESTRUCTION IN ARKANSAS.
The following from Little Rock will serve as
! n sample: "Ihe drought still continues, and
! fires are reported from every direction The
air is filled with smoke. 1t has been more
| than a week since the sun showed its face.
| Reports from Arkansas county are that the
| praries and forests are burning, and that
| much fencing, rs well as outhouses and
pastures, have been destroyed. A lineman,
! Just in from along the telephone line to Hot
| Springs, reports the destruction Of three resi-
dences and many miles Of fencing
"Thc little town Of MayllOwer, Franklin
| county, has been badly scorched Yesterday
| fire was discovered in the woods west Of the
town, burning in the direction Of the village.
| All efforts to check the flames proved useless,
| and onward the fire rushed at terrific speed,
| driven before high wind and sweeping every
thing before it, including fences, barns and
houses. 1t required the greatest care Of the
| citizens to save the Town. Many people were
compelled to leave their homes. Hayden
Brothers and others moved their goods ID.
b. Lorentz, l.. -. Akridge, 7 W. Worrell and
| j. Il. Miller are among the heaviest losers"
| HUNTINd GROUNDS RUINED.
Grand prairie and the praires along White
river in Arkansas, late the paradise Of hunters
| after prairie chicken and snipe, are now
| blackened wastes. Thousands OF birds have
| been destroyed and the country as a hunting
| ground is ruined. in the swamps. people fol-